To Release a Caged Bird
by Mr. Alaska
Summary: What if, instead of Neji, Hinata was born as a Branch member of the Hyuuga clan? How will that affect her life as one who bears the Caged Bird Seal? NaruHina, Rated M, please leave reviews if liked.
1. Team 8

Rating: M

Pairing: NaruHina

Author's Notes: Hey there everybody! It's Mr. Alaska with a NEW story! You've all voted, and you all will receive. While I would've wanted to write another Naruto/Deadpool story, you all thought otherwise. Oh well. So, this story will be about Hinata, being born as a Branch family member, instead of the of the Main family. And just for the fun of it, I'll have Naruto be stupid, and still drooling over Sakura. Hope you all enjoy the story, and like I said, please leave LOTS of reviews. And also, don't forget to check out my other Naruto, X-Men Evolution, Deadliest Warrior, Teen Titan, and Naruto/Deadpool crossover stories! Now…sit back, buckle up, and ENJOY!

Chapter one: Team 8

It was a sunny morning in hidden leaf village of Konohagakure. People were shuffling through the streets for a early start to the afternoon to come. To add to such a beautiful day, the Ninja Academy Graduations were going to be taking place that morning. Almost all of the students arrived early…all except one.

Hinata Hyuuga slowly made her way down the dirt roads of Konohagakure, with depressing thoughts flooding her mind. She was a member of the famous Hyuuga clan, and bore the winter white eyes to prove it. Her dark blue hair was neatly brushed, and was worn in a duck call fashion ( Sorry, I don't know any other way to describe her hair ). She wore a tan hoodie, with white fur lining the bottom of it. She also wore blue slacks, ending just above her ankles. And lastly, on her forehead, was the Konohagakure Shinobi headband, indicating that she was now officially a ninja.

But, even with all of the graduating students in her class, she was the least excited about becoming a ninja. She was excited about becoming a ninja, but there was something she was hoping for, that didn't come true. "N…Naruto-kun didn't p…pass…" She muttered to herself, looking down to the ground as she walked to the academy. "H…he worked so h…hard to pass, and n…never gave up. But, now he w…won't be going on t…to be a ninja w…with his friends."

Hinata was a Branch member of the Hyuuga clan. That meant she was the daughter of a parent who was the younger of a sibling. Her father, Hiashi Hyuuga was second born. His twin brother, Hizashi Hyuuga, was born not more than two seconds faster than her father. Because in the Hyuuga clan, there was a hierarchy. The Main branch was on top. They had the respect of everyone in their clan. But if you are a lower Branch family member, things were different.

For a Branch family member, you were a little more than a servant to the Main branch family. They were to do as they were told, without question. Because if they disobeyed, they would be punished. When at a young age, the leaders of the Hyuuga clan would take the young Branch member, and brand them with a seal…the Caged Bird Seal. That way, when and if a Branch member got out of line, the Main branch would activate their seals on their foreheads. Immense pain would spread across their entire bodies, and cause them to give in to anything and EVERYTHING the Main branch wanted.

And she wasn't the most respected of all the Hyuuga clan, even to the Branch family. Hinata Hyuuga was cursed with not only the curse seal, but with crushing shyness. She lost both her parents when she was a young girl, not more then a year after she received the curse mark. And, feeling obligated, Hizashi decided to take her in. that, though seemed to be the best option at the time, proved to be one of the worst option in the long run. Because she was not a Main branch member, the other Main branch members showed her little to no attention. And, in the same way, she was neglected by those of the Branch family. To them, to be a Branch family member and live at the Main branch compound at the same time was unfair. So the only ones who would show her ANY attention, good or bad, was Hizashi, and the civilians of Konohagakure.

But her train of thoughts changed when she arrived the academy, still not happy or enthusiastic. She could hear the sound of happy chatter and laughter inside her assigned classroom. When she entered, she saw the usual faces. She saw Ino Yamanak and Sakura Haruno, fighting over the most popular boy in class, Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura Haruno was among the smartest of the students in her graduating class. Her long pink hair hung past her shoulders, and bright, emerald eyes that shined beautifully. Her headband served a support for her long hair, and was used to a hair band. She wore a bright red sleeveless dress, with a pair a knee high shorts underneath.

Ino Yamanaka was a pretty blond girl, and one of Hinata's closest friends. She had a blond pony tail, what literally went down her back and ended just above her tailbone. Her well developed chest was shown by her snug purple tank top. She also wore arm warmers, just as an fashion statement. Matching with her purple tank top was her knee high purple skirt. Underneath that were shorts, similar to Sakura's. And around her waist, was he headband, showing everyone how skinny she was.

Sasuke Uchiha was the most popular boy in the class. He had raven black hair. The collar to his shirt hid half his face all the time, and his scornful eyes sometimes scared Hinata. He wore a blue, sleeveless shirt, with a high collar shielding his face from anyone who glances at him. He wore arm warmers, which were the inspiration for Ino's fashion sense. His white shorts ended below his kneecaps, and his headband on his forehead, keeping his black hair from drooping into his face.

'I wish I had their confidence…' She thought, watching the two kunoichis fight over the cold boy. 'They at least have the courage to let the boy they like know they like them…. Unlike me, who can't even complete a single sentence to the on I like.' Seeing the Hyuuga enter the room, Ino released Sasuke's arm and goes to greet her.

"Hey there Hinata-chan!" The loud girl announced. "I thought you'd never make it. Did you sleep in?" Ino asked, giving the shy kunoichi a friendly hug. She has been Hinata's friend ever since the two started attending the academy.

**( FLASHBACK )**

It was recess at the academy, and all of the children were at play. Ino Yamanaka, along with Sakura and other girls were playing tag, when Ino noticed something. Another girl who she haven't met yet. The young Hinata Hyuuga sat behind a tree, alone, eating her rice balls she brought for lunch early.

Curious, the Yamanaka snuck up behind the tree, and popped her head around the other side. "Hi there!" Ino greeted in a loud, surprising manner. The Hyuuga squeaked in surprise, and leapt forward. "I saw you were sitting by yourself, and was wondering why you weren't playing." The timid girl blushed, and started to fiddle with his two index fingers.

"U…umm…. M…my n…name is H…Hinata H…Hyuuga." Hinata stuttered, staring straight towards the ground. "Umm…. I was…umm…just e…eating my lunch, because n…no one wanted m…me to play w…with them." The Yamanaka frowned…then smiled broadly, and grabbed Hinata by the wrist.

"Don't let those meanies ignore you, Hinata-chan!" Ino said, confidently. "Come on. You can play with me and my friends. They'll like you for sure." With a hard tug, Ino pulled Hinata to her feet and raced her off to meet her friends. After that day, Hinata started playing and hanging out with Ino and her friends.

**( END FLASHBACK )**

"Yeah, I'm here, Ino-chan." Hinata giggled, hugging Ino back. "Sorry, I kinda slept in this morning. If it wasn't for Otou-sama, I probably would've missed the graduation all together." Growing up, Hizashi allowed Hinata to call him father, instead of uncle. He said that since he was raising her as his daughter, she might as well treat him as if her father. "Thanks to him, I was able to get here just in the neck of time." Ino smiled, and went back to fighting with Sakura

Looking for more familiar faces, she looked up in the top row. There, she saw Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka in the top corner of the classroom. The four boys sat alone in the top row, doing their own thing as usual.

Shikamaru Nara was without doubt the laziest ninja in the whole village. His brown hair was tired into a spiky pony tail, making his head resemble that of a pineapple. His light green vest was his trademark clothing, with his clan's symbol on his shoulder. He also wore long blue slacks, and his ninja headband on his forearm. He was fast asleep, most likely falling asleep while watching the clouds roll across the sky.

Beside him sat Chouji Akimichi. He was a good hearted boy, with a little extra weight. He had brown spiky hair, and wore a leaf village headband/bandana. He wore a green overcoat atop a white t-shirt, with his family's symbol on it, a white scarf, and black slacks. He also had the popular red spirals on his cheeks, which was the trademark of the Akimichi clan. He inhaled the last of his chips as he tried to wake his sleeping friend.

Shino Aburame was a kid who was almost as quiet as Hinata. He had brown spiky hair, and very dark glasses on so you couldn't see his eyes. He was a white trench coat, with a collar hiding his nose down from the world. He also wore black slacks, same as Chouji's. Since he was an Aburame, he was fascinated with insects. He was inspecting a couple on ants, who have made their way onto his desk.

And finally, there was Kiba Inuzuka. The while boy also had spiky brown hair, and enlarged canines which were a family trait. He wore a gray hoodie, with black fur on the hood and the bottom of his coat. He also wore black slacks, and had the distinctive red streaks on his cheeks, signifying him as being an Inuzuka. And atop his head sat his white, floppy eared ninja dog, Akamaru.

'Everyone is here…everyone but him…' Hinata thought sadly, as she took her usual seat, in the far upper left corner. As she went to her seat, she bumped up against someone. but she didn't see who it was, since she was looking at the ground. "Sorry…" She muttered, without looking back.

"It's alright, Hinata-chan." Suddenly, the Hyuuga stopped dead in her tracks.

'Th…that voice!' She thought, slowly turning her head towards the familiar voice. 'I…is that…?' When she turned around, she was faced with the one person she thought wasn't going to be here. Sitting in the chair next the hers sat Naruto Uzumaki. The boy had spiky golden yellow hair, and the two most beautiful eyes she ever saw on a person. He wore a bright orange and blue jumpsuit, which she never really cared for and a ninja headband around his forehead. He had his original goofy grin plastered on his face, which Hinata adored. His whisker birthmarks curved when he smiled. "N…Naruto-kun!" Hinata squeaked, bowing to the blond boy. "I…I thought y…you d…didn't pass th…the exiting ex…exams…" She stuttered, her face crimson red.

Naruto Uzumaki was an orphan, ever since the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked the village 12 years earlier. The forth Hokage couldn't kill the demon himself, so he was left with no option but to sacrifice himself and seal Kyuubi inside a infant. The seal worked, but he had to sacrifice his own life in the process. This child, of course, was Naruto Uzumaki. People wanted to kill him, but the third Hokage forbid it. He also forbid telling their children about what happened with the sealing of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. But that didn't stop the people from hating him and despising him. And growing up, they told their children to hate him too, for reasons they wouldn't say.

The blond chuckled. "Extra credit." He lied, not wanting Hinata to know the real reason. "I managed to do some extra training with Iruka-sensei, and earned enough to graduate. Isn't that awesome?!" He asked, flashing his trademark smile.

Hinata blushed. "Y…Yes! It is, Naruto-kun!" She agreed, happily. You see, Hinata had had for the longest time, a mad crush on the poor orphan. Hinata adored the way he was always so confident, and how he would always try to make the people around him happy. She still remembered the first time they met.

**( FLASHBACK )**

Four years earlier, on the way to the academy, Hizashi Hyuuga and Hinata walked to the academy. Hizashi and Hinata bock wore white Kimonos, which was the clothing most commonly worn by the Hyuuga clan. "Now, listen closely, Hinata…" The Hyuuga head started, looking down at his niece. "You are to act like the ninja you are soon to be. The Hyuuga clan's appearance is based off your appearance. If you do good, then your efforts will reflect from you onto our clan." He said, as they neared the academy. "Do you understand, Hinata?"

The small girl looked up, with wide white eyes. "Yes, Otou-sama. I will try." She answered, in a small, almost whisper tone. Hizashi nodded his head, and entered the gates of the academy. There stood Hinata's academy instructor. He was a young man, within his early 20's. He had tan skin, black hair tied up in a pony tail, and a large scare going across his nose. This man was Iruka Umino.

When he saw the head of the Hyuuga clan and his "daughter" nearing, Iruka smiled widely. "Welcome, Hizashi-sama." The man greeted politely, followed with a respectful bow. "I am Iruka Umino, and I'll be Hinata's instructor for the next four years." Hizashi nodded his head, while Hinata hugged his leg and hid from the man before her. And while most of the Hyuuga clan frowned upon Hinata when she did that, Hizashi didn't let it bother him. He knew that scorning and scolding the poor girl wouldn't help her overcome her shyness, it would only make it worse. So, he gently nudged her, making her come out of hiding. Now in full view of her new instructor's view, the little girl panicked, and bowed. Just bowed.

Iruka chuckled when the girl showed no sign of stopping until told so. Hizashi also let out a small chuckle, as he allowed his small niece to stop bowing. And after a quick discussion between Hizashi and Iruka, the Hyuuga head made his departure. He got to one knee, and looked his niece in the eye. "You do good, Hinata. Try your best, and show them what a Branch family member is capable of." He said, with a small, yet confident grin on his face. The little girl blushed a little, and nodded.

"Y…yes, Otou-sama." Was all she could say. And for Hizashi, that would suffice. He nodded to Hinata, turned, and bowed to Iruka.

"I trust Hinata will be in good hands, then?" Iruka nodded. "Good." After receiving a bow from Iruka, Hizashi made his leave. And when Iruka extended his hand to Hinata, the timid little girl hesitantly accepted it. They walked down the hall, as Iruka explained the daily schedule to her. Consisted of studying, recess, lunch, more studying, then training. But while walking down the halls, the two heard three voices. Two that sounded like little girls' voices, and one who sounded familiar to Iruka. And a few seconds later, his suspicions were answered. Rounding the corner ran Naruto Uzumaki, followed closely by Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.

"IRUKA-SENSEI! HELP!" The blond boy cried, as the two girls gained speed on him. "THEY'RE GONNA KILL ME! HELP!" Naruto got up behind Iruka and hid behind his leg, as the two girls stopped right before their sensei. Iruka sent both girls a stern look, and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Please help me. I don't know what I did, but they want to beat me up."

"Get back here, you jerk! You knocked over my precious Sasuke!" The blond girl shouted, as she popped her knuckles, scaring Naruto. Sakura turned and glared at her former friend.

"You mean "MY" Sasuke, Ino Pig!" The two girls started arguing with one another, fighting about who Sasuke "belonged" to. Iruka rubbed his temples and sighed aloud.

"Girls…" He groaned. "Leave Naruto alone. I'm sure if he knocked over Sasuke, it was an accident. And I assure you, Naruto will apologize when he meets him again." The two girls glared at the blond boy, but nodded and returned to class. With the girls now gone, Naruto let out a sign of relief.

"Wow…. That was close, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said aloud. "I was sure those two would've gotten me for sure." But when Naruto was about to go back to class, he noticed that Hinata was staring at him. And when he saw he, he noticed her eyes and smiled. "Wow! Look at those eyes!" He exclaimed, walking up close, and eyeballed the colorless pupils. "They are beautiful. I wish I had eyes as awesome as yours. They're much cooler than my ordinary blue eyes." The barrage of compliments caused the young Hyuuga's face to go red. She didn't know what to say. No one has ever heard anyone talk to her in such a way.

While Iruka found the scene adorable, he knew that it was almost time for class. "OK you two, it's time for class. You two better hurry, or you will be late." Without thinking, Naruto smiled, grabbed Hinata by the hand, and ran off. And as he watched Hinata try to keep up with Naruto, Iruka laughed out loud. "I knew this year was going to be interesting with Naruto here…"

**( END FLASHBACK )**

Now, Hinata and Naruto sat at the same desk, with Hinata being red as an lobster. And when Naruto saw it, he raised an eyebrow. "Hey…Hinata-chan? Are you alright? You seem a little more red…than usual." He commented, looking at her face closely. "Is it because you're wearing that heavy ass coat all the time? Because if it is, you should probably take it off before you pass out."

Hinata blushed, and shook her head. "I…it's OK, N…Naruto-kun…. I just…uh…. I just h…have a little c…cold. But it's n…nothing serious." She lied. Naruto raised a eyebrow, but didn't continue that matter further. Instead, he took a whole different turn in the conversation.

"Man, I can't WAIT until we graduate!" He shouted happily. "Now I will be treated like a ninja, and be respected by the civilians. And I might even win Sakura's heart by proving I'm better then that Sasuke asshole." Hearing that, Hinata's face and spirits fell. For years, Naruto had been trying to get Sakura Haruno to go on a date with him. And to her, every time he asks her is like a dagger into her heart. "Finally, she will see that I'm better than that stuck up jerk." Hinata didn't say anything else. She sat down in her chair, as Naruto went on about why he liked Sakura. But then, Iruka walking into the room, with a clipboard in his hand and a smile on his face.

"Congratulation to you all. Because by the end of this day, you all will be official Shinobi of Konohagakure." Everyone cheered and let out a round of applause. And after the cheering and clapping was finished, Iruka pulled his clipboard and cleared his throat. "I will begin to read off the teams by which you all will be assigned to…."

'I hope I'm on my sweet Sasuke's team!' Sakura thought hopefully, as she stared dreamingly at the cold, raven haired boy.

'I hope I'm on my sweet Sasuke's team!' Ino also thought, staring and drooling at the same boy.

'I hope I'm not on EITHER of those girls' teams…..' Sasuke thought, with his eyes closed, and feeling that both girls were staring at him.

'I hope my new sensei likes barbecue!' Chouji thought, as he opened up yet another bag of potato chips.

'I hope the Hokage was wise and reasonable with his assessment with the skills and potential of our ninja teams….' No need for me to tell you who that is…you all probably know just by the way he talks.

'I hope our teammates and sensei likes dogs.' Kiba thought, as he rubbed Akamaru's belly, snickering at the little puppy's playful facial expression.

'I hope I'm on Sakura's team!' Naruto thought, staring at the pink haired kunoichi.

'I hope I'm on Naruto's team….' Hinata thought, glancing over at Naruto, as he stared at Sakura.

'…………….' Shikamaru was fast asleep again, with his head on the desk and drool flooding over the side. After reading over the list, Iruka began be calling out random teams.

"OK…. Team 7 will consist of Shino Aburame….Sasuke Uchiha….and Sakura Haruno. Your sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."

"YES!!!!" Sakura cried, pumping her fist into the air. "In your face, Ino Pig!" She shouted. Ino had her head on the desk, moaning and crying that she wasn't on Sasuke's team. Sasuke and Shino both locked gazes, and nodded, acknowledging that they were now teammates. Naruto also had his head on his desk, disappointed that he wasn't on Sakura's team. And while Hinata felt sorry that Naruto didn't get the team he wanted, she couldn't help but feel her own hopes rising.

"Team 10.…" Iruka continued, after Sakura finally sat down and snuggled into Sasuke's chest ( Which he hated ). "Will consist of Ino Yamanaka…Kiba Inuzuka…and Chouji Akimichi. Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi."

'WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!' Ino screamed in her head, as she looked at her two new teammates. 'I'm stuck with the bottomless bit and the flee bitten dog boy?! This is the worst day of my life!' She banged her head on her desk, miserably. Kiba shrugged, annoyed that one of his new teammates was Ino Yamanaka. But he let it go, seeing as he couldn't do anything about it. Chouji smiled, as he finished another bag of chips.

'I hope Asuma-sensei likes barbecue!' He thought, letting out a small belch.

"Team 8 will consist of Naruto Uzumaki…Shikamaru Nara….." He paused when he got to the last name, purposely messing with Hinata, who's fingers were digging into the desk with anticipation. "Hinata Hyuuga. Your sensei will be Kurenai Yuuhi." Naruto's head remained on the desk, still down about not being on Sakura's team. But Hinata, on the other hand, was off in her own little world.

'YES!!' She cried in her head, as she slumped down in her chair, happy as can be. 'I'm on Naruto's team! This is the happiest day of my life!' Shikamaru slowly regained consciousness, just as his team was announced. After the last of the teams were announced, Iruka cleared his throat again when the students were talking to their new teammates.

"Again…I congratulate you all. These past four years will be something I'll always remember. I've enjoyed teaching all of you, and I'm sure you all will go off to be excellent Shinobi. But I expect you all to show your new instructors even MORE respect shown towards me. They will be responsible of your life, and deserve all the respect you can give." When all of the students nodded, he finished. "We will meet for one last time tomorrow, when you meet your sensei. I will introduce two four, and see you off. The time you are to be here will be 8:30am. Class dismissed."

To Be Continued……….

How was that?! I know, a little fast and straight forward. I'm sorry…but I ASSURE you, the following chapters will be more detailed, and will go into more depth into the characters. This was just a taste of what is to come. How will things be if Hinata was a Branch member? How will she be able to win Naruto's oblivious heart? Wait and see. Also, if you see any mistake, please inform me via PM. I apologize if there is any mistakes. But I'm improving a lot since I began. But anyway, please check out my other stories if interested:

Resurrection of a Angel ( Teen Titan )

Son of a Mercenary ( Naruto/Deadpool X-over )

Son of a Mercenary Pt II

Toad, the X-Man ( X-Men Evolution )

When Ninjas Meet Mutants ( Naruto/X-Men Evolution X-over )

The Two Demons of Konoha ( Naruto )

The Shy Jinchuuriki ( Naruto )

Evil is Only Skin Deep ( Naruto )

Deadliest Warrior Series

Valentines Day Miracles ( X-Men Evolution )

Hope to hear from you soon! Please leave lots of reviews! PEACE!


	2. Family Problems

Rating: M

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata, and more as the story continues.

Author's Notes: Hello again everybody. I hope you all liked the first chapter! And I must say, it has to be one of the best first chapter of all of my stories. Seriously, 43 REVIEWS? That's amazing! I really appreciate all the comments, and are hoping to hit 100 in the first two chapters. Please help me accomplish this goal. Anyway, Hinata is VERY happy she's on Naruto's team. And if anyone is wondering about her home life, they will be answered in this chapter. Please leave plenty of reviews, and check out my other stories. PEACE!

Chapter two: Family Problems

'Yes…I'm on Naruto-kun's team….' Hinata thought happily, dumbly stumbling down the streets of Konohagakure, with a dazed smile on her face. She was overjoyed to find out she would be on the same team as the boy she likes so much. Before she even made to the academy that morning, she didn't even believe the blond boy was even going to BE there. She thought he failed, and would've had to stay there until he mastered all the standards. But, to her pleasant surprise, he did in fact pass. And as if the gods were smiling down on her, she and Naruto will be on the same team. The unexpected turn of events were overwhelming for the Hyuuga girl, causing her to stumble her way to the Hyuuga estate.

But as she neared the gates of the Hyuuga estate, her pleasant thoughts vanished. The two guards stationed at the gate saw her coming, and both took on an uncaring, ignorant frown. Hinata looked down nervously, as she stopped in front of the two men. She respectively bowed her head, and received nothing in return. The two scornful men merely growled, and stepped out of the way, giving her permission to pass. "Th…thank you…" Hinata thanked the two Hyuuga guards, and walked into the estate with her face still facing the ground. The guards rolled their eyes, and spat on the dirt. 'Wh… whydoes everyone hate me?' The poor girl thought, making her way towards Hizashi's chamber. She took of her sandals, took a deep breath, and made her way down the long halls.

It was requested by Hizashi that after returning from the academy, Hinata would stop by his chambers. If he had any training regimens or duties for Hinata, it would be convenient for her to come to him. And normally, the most he would ask of her was to practice with her little sister Hanabi ( Yes, Hanabi is in this story ) and then inform him if she wanted to do anything else. When Hinata came to the large oak sliding door, she took another deep breath, and knocked. She held her breath, waiting for any sign of acknowledgment for her uncle. "You may enter, Hinata…" Hinata let out a sigh of relief when she heard Hizashi's voice.

She hesitantly slid open the door, and peered into her uncle's room. It was the largest room in the estate, next to his son's room across from his own. Sitting in the center of the room sat Hizashi Hyuuga, with other Hyuuga elders sitting around him. Hizashi was apparently having a meeting with the other elders, so Hinata blushed and bowed her head. "G… gomen, Otou-sama…." The girl stammered, not looking up. "I…if this is a b… bad time, I shall w…wait until you are f…finished." The Hyuuga elders narrowed their eyes at the girl's reaction. Being shy and nervous 24/7 wasn't a characteristic a Hyuuga should show, much less the niece of Hizashi Hyuuga. As Hinata apologized, however, Hizashi was the only one who wasn't glaring or frowning at Hinata.

The Hyuuga head shook his head, and sighed. "Calm down, Hinata…" He said, standing up. "The elders and I were just finishing up with our meeting. You are not troubling us." Hinata let out another sigh of relief, seeing that she wasn't disturbing them. She stood up and looked at her uncle. Hizashi bowed to the elders, and in turn, the elders exited the room. Now only Hinata and Hizashi were in the room, with Hizashi looking at his niece. "So… how was your graduation ceremony?" Hinata looked to one side, and began to fiddle with her index fingers.

"Umm…. It went w… well, Otou-sama…" Hinata answered, speaking in the quiet voice only Hizashi and Hanabi have grown used to. "I…I've been placed on a team with Sh… Shikamaru Nara and… and…" Hinata blushed, and smiled dreamingly. "And N… Naruto U… Uzumaki." Hizashi's eyes arched at the mention of the Jinchuuriki's name. But he didn't pry into it, and allowed his niece to continue. "And K…Kurenai Yuuhi is our sensei. And I… I have to be at the academy by 8:30 tomorrow." She finished, looking down to one side. Hizashi nodded his head, and Hinata added one more thing. "Umm… is th… there anything you want me to do, Otou-sama?"

Hizashi shook his head. "No, Hinata. Hanabi is practicing with another Branch member, and as far as I know, there aren't any chores that need doing." He said, walking up to his shy niece. "Neji should be back from a mission any minute, though. If you happen to see him, please direct him towards me. There is something I need of him." Hinata nodded her head. "Good…. And congratulations, Hinata." Hinata's eyes popped open when she heard those kind words. She looked up, and noticed the small grin on her uncle's face. "Hiashi and Hanna would be proud of you, if they were still here with us."

Hinata stared at her uncle, and looked into his eyes. Even though the Hyuuga clan possesses emotionless white eyes, Hinata saw that there was the feeling of sincerity in his eyes. Unlike most siblings in the Hyuuga clan, Hizashi and Hiashi were close friends, despite being on different sides of the clan hierarchy. Hanna ( Hinata's and Hanabi's mother ) died giving birth to Hanabi. Hiashi was so grief-stricken, he requested the elders to allow him to take some time off to get over it. But the Hyuuga elders denied his request, saying that there were too much going on at the time. Hizashi, now the leader of the Hyuuga clan on the other hand, allowed his brother to take some time to get over it.

Hinata smiled warmly, and bowed her head respectfully. "Th… thank you, Otou-sama." Hizashi returned his niece's smile with a nod. She then turned, left the room, and gently closed the door behind her. Outside the door, Hinata let out a sigh. "It's so unfair…." She whispered to herself, whipping a lone tear threatening to fall from her eye. Remembering her parents always brought sad thoughts of loneliness, and the feeling that if they were still alive, she and her sister wouldn't have had to go through being hated by the entire clan. She remembered how sweet and kind her mother was, and how she would always hold her when she was sad. Hinata also remembered at how much her father cared for and protected her and Hanabi when their mother passed away. He would rarely let them out of his sight if not on a mission, and would regularly take them to the park. She missed them, and feels even more sorry for Hanabi, who never even got to know them.

"NEECHAN!" Suddenly, Hinata was tackled from behind. Hinata let out a surprised yelp, and turned around to see who it was. It was none other than Hinata's little sister Hanabi. She had a wide smile on her face, as she gave her older sister a tight hug. "Hello, neechan. How was your graduation?" Hinata chuckled, and hugged her tomboyish sister back. Hinata and Hanabi were very close to one another. Since Hanabi grew up being hated by other Hyuuga kids her age, Hinata stuck by her when she could. She would tell Hanabi stories about when their parents were still alive, play with her, and comfort her when she had a bad day at the academy. So basically, Hinata became a mother figure for Hanabi.

"It was very nice, Hanabi-chan." Hinata sat up, with her little sister crawling around and wrapped her arms around Hinata's neck, demanding for a piggy back ride. Hinata got up to her feet, and continued to walk down the halls with Hanabi on her back. "I've been placed on the same team as Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-san." Hanabi raised an eyebrow at hearing Naruto's name.

"Naruto? You mean the blond boy you like?" Hinata's face went bright red when her little sister said that. She swung her head around and stared directly at her Hanabi with wide eyes. Hanabi giggled when Hinata began to sweat. Hanabi blushed when Hinata asked her how she knew. "Hehheheehe…. I kinda looked in your diary last week."

Hinata glared at her little sister… than a devilish grin appeared on her face. "Oh really?" Then, in a blink of an eye, Hinata managed to pull Hanabi off from her back and pinned her to the ground. "Looks like you need to be punished." Pinning her wrists and ankles to the ground, Hinata began to tickle her trapped sister mercilessly. "Take this, diary reader!" She cried, as she tickled Hanabi underneath her armpits. Hanabi started to laugh uncontrollably, as she struggled to break free from her older sister's hold on her.

"HAHAHAHHA! N… Neechan! Stop! HAHHHAHA!" The younger Hyuuga girl cried, with tears running down her face. But Hinata only grinned evilly, shook her head, and switched to the other armpit. "HAHHAHAHAHA! Pl… please, Neechan! I… I'm sorry!" Hanabi apologized, as Hinata went from her armpits to her bare feet. "HAHAHA! Neechan! I'm gonna pee myself! HHAHAHAHAHAA! PLEASE!" Now both sisters were laughing. Hanabi was laughing from being mercilessly tickled, while Hinata was laughing in guilty pleasure at torturing her younger sister.

But that all came to an end when the two girls heard an all too familiar voice from behind them. "Hinata-san… Hanabi-san…. What in the world do you two think you're doing?" Both sisters froze in fear at the cold, low, emotionless voice from behind them. Hinata stopped tickling Hanabi, and slowly turned her head to see her "superior". Standing behind them was their cousin, and heir to the Hyuuga clan, Neji Hyuuga. The boy's cold gaze fell over Hinata and Hanabi, with his arms folded across his chest. Neji's long black hair fell down his back, ending just above his tailbone. Around his neck hung his leaf village headband from the previous year's graduation. The older boy wore a white kimono, similar to his father's.

Neji stood there, with his white eyes narrowing on the two siblings before him. "Hyuugas shouldn't be rolling on the ground like pigs. Show a little respect for you clan and stop embarrassing yourselves." Hinata and Hanabi looked down in shame at their cousin's cruel words. "If you two wish to act like juveniles, do it in a different location than the halls of our estate. That way, we who have responsibilities can get work done." Hinata started fiddling with her fingers, while Hanabi secretly snuck behind Hinata.

For the longest time, Hinata, Hanabi, and every other Branch members have been degraded by the Main branch members in one way or another. Be it being assigned to do countless chores around the Hyuuga estate, to being left low ranked missions while the Main branch members got more challenging missions, and in some rare cases, being completely denied acknowledgment from the Main branch. For Hinata and Hanabi, unfortunately, their tormentor was their own cousin Neji, who wasn't shy about reminding them he was their superior… in all ways. "G… gomen, N… Neji-dono…." Both girls stammered quietly, not even daring to look up at their cousin.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Neji scuffed and turned around. "Hinata-san…" Said girl's eyes snapped open in shock when the boy before her mention her name. "I suggest you miraculously change your personality. Ninjas aren't supposed to be shy, scared, nervous, or weak… especially a Hyuuga." Again, Hinata's eyes stayed glued to the ground, as she tried her best to keep herself from crying. And thankfully, Neji didn't notice. "And remember… I'm the boss of you two when my father isn't around. So I expect to see some drastic changes in you, and soon. But if you don't start changing… I'll be forced to ask my father for some time to _train _with you. And you don't want that… do you?" Hinata hesitantly shook her head, which caused a evil smile to appear on Neji's face. "Good."

And with that, Neji walked down the hall and headed for his father's chamber. The two sisters were left in the hall, still sitting on the ground, feeling terrible about themselves. Neji has been verbally abusing Hinata and Hanabi since he started going to the academy. Neither girl knows why he does it. And neither wanted to ask him why. Regularly, he stuck to ignoring them, insulting them and constantly ordering them to do remedial chores around the complex. But on rare occasions, Neji would either beat them down in training sessions, or activate their curse seals when no one was looking.

After a few minutes of silence, Hinata stood up and helped Hanabi to her feet. "Come on…" The oldest muttered, in a soft, quivering voice. "I… I'm sure you h… have chores to do." Hanabi looked up at her older sister, with watery pale eyes…. Only to discover that Hinata herself was trying to hold tears back from falling. "G… go on, Hanabi…. I'm going t… to ask Otou-sama if he h… has anything he w… wants me to do." A single tear drifted down Hanabi's face. Seeing this, Hinata reached down and wiped it off her cheeks. "Don't worry…. Things will get better." At first, Hanabi's sad expression didn't change. But after a few seconds, she cracked a small smile, and wiped the remaining tears out of her eyes.

"O… OK, Neechan." The younger girl turned, and walked down the hall. And with Hanabi gone, Hinata sat against a wall, placed her face in her hands, and silently wept.

'What did we do to him?' She thought to herself, as her tears soaked her hands. 'Hanabi and I never did anything to Neji…. We do everything he tells us. What did we do to deserve this?' Hinata quietly gasped for air, as her tears fell down and soaked the sleeves of her coat. she bit her bottom lip to keep herself from letting out any unnecessary sounds. This continued for another few minutes, when she remembered what happened earlier that day. She remembered that she was going to be at the academy at 8:30am tomorrow to meet her sensei. So… Hinata wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, gave a few seconds to calm down, and stood up. "I w… won't allow Neji t… to ruin this day." She whispered to herself, as she walked down the halls.

"Hello, Hinata…. What was that about my son?" Everything froze in place for Hinata when she heard Hizashi's voice. By the sound of his voice, he sounded half annoyed, and half curious. But nevertheless, Hinata's body locked up in fear. And at first, Hinata was physically unable to turn and answer. She remained frozen in place, standing perfectly up straight, with her eyes wide open. When his niece didn't answer, Hizashi raised a eyebrow, and walked up in front of her. "Well, Hinata. What did you mean by, "I won't let Neji to ruin this day." What did he do?"

Hinata's arms and legs began to wobble, as she tried to find the words she wanted to say. But as hard as she tried, Hinata just couldn't say anything. Because in her mind, Hizashi was the VERY last person she wanted to displease. He was reasonably nice to her and Hanabi, even when the Hyuuga elders or other Main branch members were around. And she was just talking ill about his son. "Let me guess…. Neji has been starting to order you and Hanabi around…? More than usual?" Hinata's terrified eyes drifted upwards to see the face of her uncle. But to her surprise, his expression wasn't what she suspected. Hinata suspected Hizashi to be annoyed or mad at her. But instead, his eyes were closed and his arms were folded across his chest.

Feeling a little at ease, Hinata managed to nod her head. Seeing this, the Hyuuga leader let out a tired sigh. "Yeah… that's what I've been noticing lately, when Neji doesn't know I'm watching. He's been ordering almost every Branch family member he can find to do chores that don't even need to be done…" Hizashi massaged the bridge of his nose, and leaned up against a wall. It was true. Lately, Neji became a little more irritable for some unknown reason. And Hizashi was on one hand proud of his boy for acting like the leader he was destined to be…. But on the other hand, he was disappointed with what kind of leader he saw his son slowly turning into. "You and Hanabi can take today off. I have nothing to do… so I feel I should go intercept Neji." Hinata blushed and allowed a small smile to appear on her face.

"Th… thank you, Otou-sama." Hizashi nodded his head, and walked past her.

"You're welcome, Hinata…" Hizashi replied, as he slowly walked down the hall. "And if it makes you, Hanabi, or the rest of the Branch members feel better, I'll try to work on Neji…." Hinata turned her head and smiled at her uncle, who turned down another hallway, with his Byakugan activated. So Hinata stood there, feeling somewhat better about herself after what her uncle just said to her. This was one of those rare moments when Hizashi went out of his way to make either Hinata or Hanabi feel better about what they have to go through. When the Main branch members start demanding too much from them, or any other Branch family member, he would try his best to help them. So… feeling much better, Hinata ran off to where her little sister should be to tell her the news about their day off.

**( THE NEXY DAY )**

Hinata yawned as she walked down the dusty streets at 8:25am. The afternoon before, she and Hanabi spent the rest of the day doing the things they liked most. From going out to have lunch at their favorite restaurant, talking about girly stuff, and, strangely enough, training with one another. The two sisters would practice the basic Jyuuken stances and standard palm strikes. But to their surprise, Neji didn't come check up on them the remainder of that day. Normally, their cousin would've visited them to make sure they were "acting like a Hyuuga". But neither she or her sister bothered to raise the subject. They were having a good time, and didn't wish to spoil it.

As Hinata neared the academy, she was overjoyed to see both Naruto and Shikamaru at the entrance. Naruto was sitting on the swing hanging from the tree, gently rocking back and forth. A warm sensation arose in her cheeks when the blond boy saw her coming. He waved and flashed his trademark wide grin. 'O… OK. Stay c… calm.' Hinata thought to herself, as she fanned herself. So, to help distract herself, she turned her attention to her other teammate. And not to her surprise, the lazy ninja was sat against the same tree, sleeping. "G… good morning, N… Naruto-kun…" Hinata stammered, as she looked down, trying to hide her bright red cheeks.

Not noticing his teammate's blush, Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Hey, Hinata-chan. I guess you had the right idea…. You got here five minutes before the actual meeting. While me and Shikamaru were dumb enough to arrive 30 minutes before." He chuckled, but raised a eyebrow when he noticed that Hinata didn't so much as look up. "Hinata-chan? Are you alright?" He bent down and looked up, trying to see the Hyuuga's face.

But then, from out of nowhere, a large puff of smoke appeared behind the three. Naruto and Hinata turned in surprise, while Shikamaru remained fast asleep. "Good. You're all here…" A female's voice was heard through the thick white smoke. "Punctuality is important for a shinobi." When the smoke finally cleared, a beautiful woman was revealed. The woman was none other than their sensei, Kurenai Yuuhi.

The Jonin had a gorgeous, well-build face, with her eyes shining crimson red, which was her family's trademark feature. Her long, messy black hair ran down her back, reaching down below her shoulders. Her body was well built, being both physically fit without losing her beautiful features. Kurenai wore a weird kind of kimono. It was composed of white and black strips, attached to a red, one sleeved shirt. ( Sorry… didn't know how to describe what she wears. )

The woman smiled as she looked over her new students. She looked at Hinata, who was looking down in shyness, and started to fiddle with her two index fingers. 'Hmm…. Looks like Iruka was right. There is such a thing as a _shy _Hyuuga.' Kurenai smirked when Hinata let out a frightened squeak, after she looked up and noticed that her sensei was staring at her. 'But shy or not, the Byakugan is a vital asset for a ninja team…. But I'll have to work with her on her self-esteem issue.'

After Hinata, Kurenai turned her attention to Shikamaru… who was STILL sleeping against the tree. The Jonin rolled her eyes when the Nara began to snore. 'Lazy… just like any other Nara. But from what I know about the Nara clan, the lazier the person, the smarter they are.' She walked up, and kicked the sleeping boy in the leg. Shikamaru groaned, and moved onto one side to continue to sleep. Kurenai sighed, placed her hands on her hips, and shook her head. "Mr. Nara… do you think you can join us, please?" Shikamaru mumbled a couple of words underneath his breath, before pulling himself up. "Good. And I expect you to try your best to stay awake when you're at a meeting. You had the opportunity to have a good night sleep…. So you shouldn't be tired now."

As Shikamaru stood up and leaned against the tree, Kurenai inspected her last student. She knew all about Naruto, and the fact he carried the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside him. 'So… this is the "demon brat" everyone's afraid of, huh?' The woman thought, as she slowly started to circle Naruto. 'Ha. The worst this boy has done was listening that bastard Mizuki.' Everyone at the academy found out what happened in the forest the morning after. Iruka told everyone that Mizuki used Naruto to steal the sacred scroll. 'And from what Iruka told us, the boy is full of surprises. While he has trouble performing the Bunshin no Jutsu, he was able to master the _Kage _Bunshin no Jutsu…. 'A boy who is able to perform a Jonin level Jutsu would be really useful when in a mission.' But that also raised the fact that his abilities to perform different jutsus are unstable… which needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

But seeing Naruto becoming more and more nervous with each circle she made around him, Kurenai smiled. "Well, my first opinion of you all…?" She began in a warm voice, and stepping in front of them to get their attention. Naruto and Hinata were interested in what their sensei's thoughts were about them, while Shikamaru didn't care. "You all have pros and cons when it come to your ninja abilities. Meaning, you all have good strengths and major weaknesses. But with my help, we can work on them…. But not today." Naruto raised a eyebrow, while Hinata stared blankly at Kurenai, waiting for further information. "Right now, we need to get to know everyone. Meet me in the park in ten minutes." Then, Kurenai performed a couple of hand signs, and disappeared in another puff of smoke.

Naruto, scratching the back of his head, looked at Hinata. Then he looked at Shikamaru, who was almost asleep again. "Umm…. You think we should get going, Shikamaru?" He asked, reaching out and shaking Shikamaru's shoulder. The boy, in turn, let out another groan.

"So troublesome…." That was almost a catchphrase for the Nara clan. But after rubbing his eyes, and letting out a loud yawn, he gave in. "Alright. Let's go…"

_**( TEN MINUTES LATER )**_

"Lets get started by getting to know one another." Kurenai began, as she and her team sat underneath the large tree in the middle of the park. Kurenai sat at the base of the tree, while Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru sat in front of her, sitting cross legged. Thankfully, there weren't many people out this time in the day, so the park was nearly empty. "We should use this time to share our likes, dislikes, and dreams with everyone. I'll start. My name in Kurenai Yuuhi. I like singing karaoke, reading, and spending time with my friend Anko. My dislikes are loud drunks who think men a inheritably stronger and better than women." Hearing this, Hinata looked up in quiet inspiration at her sensei. While the thought of men being better than women rarely ever crossed her mind, she did notice that there was a lack of high ranking kunoichi. "And my dream is to see all three of you become successful Jonins." Naruto and Hinata looked at their sensei, both in awe and respect. "You got the idea now?" Kurenai asked, receiving nods from all three of her students.

When nobody seemed to want to start, Kurenai pointed straight at Naruto. The confident blond boy smiled, cleared his throat, and stood up. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like training, playing pranks, annoying Iruka-sensei, and eating many different types of ramen. I dislike stuck up jerks like Sasuke." Kurenai chuckled at how Naruto clinched his fists at the name of his rival's name. "And my dream is to one day become the best Hokage ever!" He finished in an enthusiastic voice, as he leapt into the air. Kurenai cracked a smile, and nodded.

"Thank you, Naruto-san…. You have really honorable goals." She replied, and a warm, sincere voice. In response, Naruto blushed, chuckled in embarrassment, and sat down. 'Poor boy…. For him to react so strongly to a simple compliment must show what kind of life he had to lead. Those asshole villagers…' Kurenai shook her head when she remembered what they were doing. She looked at Shikamaru, who was surprisingly still awake. "You're next, Shikamaru-san."

Rolling his eyes, the Nara stood up, and began in a low, emotionless voice. "My name is Shikamaru Nara… I like watching clouds, star gazing, sleeping in, and playing strategy board games like Go…." He paused to let out a loud yawn. "My dislikes are any activities that require too much effort on my part. My dream is to become a Jonin, and nothing more. Marry a girl who isn't super pretty or super ugly. Have two kids, a girl, then a boy. Have the girl grow up into a beautiful woman, and have a son take on the family deer breeding business. And finally, die of old age peacefully in my sleep." He finished in a yawn. Kurenai, along with everyone else stared at the Nara.

An anime sweat drop fell down Kurenai's head, as she cracked a half smile. "Umm…. That was really… _descriptive_… Shikamaru-san…" Kurenai replied in a unsettled tone. 'Hmm, he's lazy, just like every other Nara male. But lets see if he inherited their genius thinking as well…' Finally, Hinata was the only one left. She was hesitant, but she began without having to be asked.

"Umm…. M… my name is H… Hinata H… Hyuuga…" The shy kunoichi began, in a voice a little louder than a whisper. "M… my likes a… are …" She glanced shyly at Naruto, who wasn't looking in her direction. She blushed, and quickly looked back. "I like p… pressing flowers, sp… spending time w… with my little sister, H… Hanabi, and kind p… people. My dislikes are p…people who are mean to o… others, and call th… them weak. My dreams are t… to improve my clan f… for the better and to g… gain the a… attention of my clan…. And someone else." Kurenai smiled softly at the shy kunoichi, and her dream.

But Kurenai also noticed the shy glance Hinata gave Naruto. 'Aww…. How cute. Looks like Iruka's suspicions were true. Little Hinata-san has a little crush on Naruto-san. I guess that explains her constant blush.' A devilish smile appeared on Kurenai's face, as Hinata sat back down, trying not to make eye contact with the blond boy beside her. "Well, this was very interesting." Kurenai said, as she stood up and wiped the bits of grass off her kimono.

Naruto frowned, and raised his hand. "Umm…. Kurenai-sensei?" Said Jonin turned with a curious look on her face. "Umm…. Aren't we going to get started on training? I thought we would've started training after introductions." Kurenai shook her head.

"I admire your willingness to learn, Naruto-san. But we won't start training until tomorrow." She answered, receiving a confused look from all of her students. "You see… I wanted to inspect you three before I went home to arrange the best training sessions for you. And… while other Jonin instructors do start training after meeting their teams for the first time, I can honestly say I'm not like most other instructors. We will meet back here tomorrow at nine. So you three have the rest of the day off, to get to know your teammates." The three ninjas looked at one another, and nodded their heads. But when they turned, Kurenai continued. "Naruto-san?" Naruto stopped and turned, along with Hinata and Shikamaru. "Do you think you and I can talk some more? In private?"

To Be Continued…

Hello, everybody. I'm back! And I hope you all enjoyed the update. Sorry if it seems as if it's going by too fast. I have a problem with spacing out stuff. But I feel that it's going at an reasonable speed. And if the detail is lacking, I apologize again. But enough about that. I decided to make Neji a seriously messed up, pompous, sadistic asshole… even though he is apart of the Main branch. And… just to help out Hinata and Hanabi, I had Hizashi be their savior from time to time. I hope you enjoy. Please leave plenty of reviews, and make sure you check out my profile to vote on the poll I have opened. Hope to hear from you all soon! PEACE!


	3. Strange Girl

Rating: M

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata, and more as the story progresses.

Author's Notes: Hey there, everybody! I'm sorry it's taking so long to update my stories. But I am swamped right now. Between the work I do at school, the homework the send me home with, and the sheer lack of time to be creative, I am kinda stuck. That's why I called on Zentary for some help. He sent me stuff for the chapter, and I put them in. And while he sent me the material, I added changes to it. But don't take it as me getting lazy, please don't. I sent him the main gist of the chapter, he wrote about 90% of it, and I added and conditioned it. I did it so that I could give all my loyal readers something, before they started losing interest in it. Please don't think ill of me for doing do. But please, enjoy the chapter. Review, and thank Zentary for his help. PEACE!

Chapter three: Strange Girl

"What did you want to talk to me about, Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto asked, as he walked up to his sensei. He didn't have a clue what she wanted to talk with him about. Privately, no less. He looked at his sensei's face, and frowned in confusion. Kurenai had an eerily serious expression.

Leaning against a nearby tree, Kurenai let out a tired sigh. "I wanted to talk to you about your tenant," Kurenai said. And a split second later, Naruto's confused frowned turned into one of panic. He looking around frantically, looking to see if anyone was around. Kurenai continued. "I know it's probably not an easy subject for you. But sooner or later, this subject would have come up in a less pleasant way."

Naruto looked down at the ground and shifted uneasily. "What do you want to know?" he asked, not bothering to look up at his sensei's face. He sounded distant, quiet. This matter obviously made him uncomfortable, and Kurenai saw that. "I mean, I don't really know much about the fox myself. It's not like we talk." Naruto didn't look up as he talked. He just stared at his feet.

Kurenai now regretted bringing this subject up, but she had to get it out of the way. "I know it must have been hard for you," she said, placing a hand on one of his shoulders. "I know what you went through was very difficult. You didn't deser…"

"How would you know what it was like for me?" Naruto asked, his voice beginning to become louder as he spoke. "How would you know what it's like to be ignored all your life for a reason you couldn't understand and still don't understand? I don't get it! It's not like I was the one who attacked Konoha! He's just stuck inside of me!" Naruto went silent for a moment. He realized how loud he was getting. He looked around again, hoping that no one else heard his angry, _revealing _rant. Then, he went back to looking at his feet. "I've lived alone all my life. Only a few people will even talk to me, let alone look at me."

Personally, Kurenai was heartbroken. She only knew Naruto from what Iruka spoke of him. And from what his old sensei told her, Naruto was just a lonely, hyperactive child who was looking for MUCH-needed attention, just like he had. So defensively, Kurenai waved her hands in front of her. "Look, Naruto, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to sound as if I knew what it was like. I'm sure no one could even imagine what you went through. I just wanted to talk to you about it and to show that it doesn't bother me that you hold the fox." Kurenai watched as her blond student let out a sigh of relief. This was good, so she continued. "So Naruto, are you able to contact the fox in any way?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I can't. I wouldn't even know what he looks like if it weren't for a picture I saw once."

Kurenai noticed how uncomfortable Naruto looked talking about the fox. But she had to ask. "Naruto, are you going to tell your teammates about him?" Kurenai had a feeling she knew what his answer was already.

"No!" he cried. "Why would I tell the only friendly kids my age about a demon being inside me? It's the reason so many parents won't let their children near me. If they knew, they'd be terrified of me, and would want to be transferred to another team or something."

Kurenai decided now was the time to change the subject. "Okay, okay," she reassured, placing her hands up defensively again. "You don't have to tell them about it. I was only asking is all." Relieved, Naruto sighed, and took a seat on a nearby bench. But there was still one more question his sensei wanted to ask. "Naruto, what do you think of your two teammates?"

Grateful that she changed the subject, Naruto scratched the back of his head and thought about it. "Well, Shikamaru is really lazy," he began, stating the obvious, "and almost always answers your question with a smart-ass remark. But, I guess he considers me a friend, since he doesn't go out of his way to make me feel bad about myself. He may be a wise-guy, but he's a wise-guy to everybody. And Hinata..." Naruto paused to think about what he thought of the white-eyed girl. "Well, I'm not sure. She's nice and all, but it's just hard to get to know her."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why is that, exactly?"

"Well, every time I either talk to her or get near her, she turns red. I'm wondering if she's sick a lot or something."

Kurenai chuckled at how clueless he was. "Does she only turn red around you?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment before responding. "Well yeah..." Then it hit Naruto. "She's allergic to me!"

Kurenai face palmed at Naruto's outburst, while said idiot crossed his arms across his chest, thinking that he figured it out. 'Is he serious?' she wondered. Kurenai thought about it for a moment. Kurenai knew Naruto was pretty much alone his entire life, so he probably didn't learn about what love was or anything like that. 'I guess hinting at it won't work at all,' she decided. 'He just doesn't understand. Well, I guess that makes sense, seeing as he doesn't understand that Sakura doesn't like him at all… at least from what Iruka told me. I guess its up to me to push things along slowly.' Kurenai decided not to flat out say it. He has to figure it out on his own. Mostly because he probably wouldn't know what to think of it at this point. Although, she planned on helping the both of them get closer. "No, Naruto, Hinata isn't allergic to you," she said, trying her hardest not to laugh at his 'allergy' theory. "Maybe you'll understand when the time comes."

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Is that all you wanted to talk about, Kurenai-sensei?"

"Yes, that's all I wanted to talk about," she answered, as she stood up from the tree. "You can go now. Just be sure to show up tomorrow at the specified time. Alright?"

"Alright, Kurenai-sensei," Naruto agreed before running off. Naruto ran into Hinata and Shikamaru, who were waiting for him down the road. "Oh, hey guys! Why are you waiting for me?"

"Well, it's troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, "but Kurenai-sensei said we should get to know each other better. So let's go get something to eat and get to know each other." Shikamaru wasn't really doing this to get to know them better. He thinks he knows all he needs to know. Also, the fact that he knew Hinata was extremely shy around Naruto was a problem that needed to be solved.

"Sure, why not? But where should we go?" Naruto asked.

"Well, there's that ramen stand you always go to, so why not there?" Shikamaru looked at Hinata. "How about it, Hinata?"

"S-sure," she replied, glancing at Naruto. And as if on cue, the girl blushed and looked away when her blond teammate looked at her.

"Off to ramen!" Naruto shouted excitedly, not being bothered by Hinata's nervous actions.

Hinata giggled at Naruto's enthusiasm, while Shikamaru mumbled something under his breath. They walked off to the ramen stand, with none other then Naruto leading them. On the way there, Shikamaru was thinking of ways to get Naruto and Hinata to interact. As they were nearing the ramen stand, Shikamaru got the idea to use his Shadow Manipulation Jutsu to make Hinata interact with Naruto. And thankfully, Hinata was walking in the shadows of the buildings by the road. So, Shikamaru got behind Hinata, performed the required hand signs, and did it. All of a sudden, Hinata stopped dead in her tracks, causing Naruto to look back at her.

"Hinata, is something wrong?" Naruto asked, as Hinata's body began to tremble.

'W-why can't I move?' she wondered. Then, Hinata's eyes widened as she started walking closer to Naruto against her will. Naruto watched in confusion as his shy teammate walked towards him. Then, she stopped right in front of him. All of a sudden, Hinata's arms flung open, she leaned forward, and HUGGED Naruto, tightly. Both Hinata's and Naruto's eyes went wide. He had never been hugged before, so Naruto couldn't help but stare at Hinata. Hinata's face went sunburn red, before she passed out. A few seconds later, Shikamaru released Hinata from his hold, causing her to fall forward. Naruto caught her and held her up. She was surprisingly light, he thought as he leaned her against a building. Naruto turned and noticed a shadow retracting back to Shikamaru. He recognized the Nara Shadow Jutsu, and scowled at his "lazy" teammate.

"What the hell, Shikamaru? Why would you make Hinata do something against her will?"

The Nara smirked, and hunched his shoulders. "What? I was just helping the both of you out," Shikamaru replied.

'What does that mean?' Naruto thought, looking from Shikamaru to Hinata in confusion. Seeing his teammate STILL not catching on, Shikamaru rubbed his temples in annoyance.

'You are such a dumbass, Naruto,' he thought. "Well, make sure she gets home. I'm going to go take a nap or something," Shikamaru said as he turned around and gave Naruto a wave goodbye.

"Wait!" Naruto shouted. But it was too late. Shikamaru quickly rounded a corner, and was gone. 'WHAT THE HELL?' He thought, scratching the back of his head. '"Helping the both of us out?" What is he talking about?' Naruto created a shadow clone and used it to get Hinata on his back. He carried Hinata piggyback style back towards the Hyuuga compound. Hinata's arms wrapped around Naruto's neck as he began to walk down the street. He was a little disappointed that he wasn't getting ramen, but he figured that his teammate's welfare was more important than food, even ramen. 'Why does she keep fainting like that?' he wondered as he arrived at the front gates of the Hyuuga estate. Naruto noticed two guards at the entrance. He slowly walked up to the entrance, getting both of the Hyuuga guards' attention. But just when he was about to talk with one of the guards, another person walked out of the estate.

Hizashi Hyuuga came walking out of the Hyuuga estate, only to see Naruto carrying Hinata on his back. With an arched eyebrow, the Hyuuga leader approached Naruto, and cleared his throat. "Naruto Uzumaki," he began, before giving him a respectful bow. "May I ask why my niece is unconscious? And why you are carrying her on your back?" Hizashi asked.

Naruto looked at Hizashi with question. "Your niece?"

"Yes. I'm Hizashi Hyuuga, leader of the Hyuuga clan and her uncle," he answered, before looking down at the boy in seriousness. "Now, please answer my question."

"Well... I'm not sure exactly what happened myself," Naruto replied, letting out a nervous chuckle. "When she passed out, Shikamaru left me with her and told me to take her home. But she passed out after Shikamaru used his shadow Jutsu on her to make her hug me. I still don't have any idea why the baka did it, though..."

"Hmm… I see," Hizashi replied, nodding his head. Hearing the circumstances, he wouldn't be surprised that his niece passed out. He knew about the crush Hinata had on Naruto. Anyone who even witnessed how she acted around him could draw the same conclusion. But, unlike most of the parents of Konohagakure, Hizashi didn't mind. He knew the WHOLE story about Naruto's sealing, and why the fourth Hokage chose him. So, the Hyuuga patriarch nodded his head. "Thank you, Naruto-san. Please take my niece to her room. It's through the main door, down the hall, last room on the left."

Confused, Naruto looked at Hizashi, to Hinata, than back to Hizashi. "You want me to take Hinata to her room?" he asked, taken off guard by the strange request. Hizashi turned back to him with a confident grin.

"Well, you are already carrying her, so taking her to her bedroom isn't that much farther," he pointed out. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it," the blond replied, shifting the unconscious kunoichi into a more comfortable position. "It's just that most people don't trust me with anything, let alone let me inside their house."

"I know that," Hizashi confirmed. "But I am not as ignorant as others as to the difference between the jailor and the actual thing. Now, if you would please come this way. I'll show you to her room."

Naruto was startled that Hizashi brought up his condition. Hizashi and Naruto walked through the estate until they reached Hinata's room. Naruto made a shadow clone, which helped get Hinata off his back without dropping her. Hizashi was amazed that such a young child could learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu and use it so easily. Naruto carefully put Hinata down on her bed. She grabbed the nearest pillow and cuddled with it. He noticed the pleasant smile on her face, but then he saw the tattoo like symbol that was covered by her hair. Naruto stood up and walked out of the room with Hizashi.

"Umm... I don't mean to be nosy, but what was that tattoo on her forehead?" he asked, curious.

"What is Hinata to you?" Hizashi asked out of nowhere.

Naruto was once again caught off guard by the question. Where did that come from, he wondered. "She's my teammate and friend. One of the very few I have. Why?"

"I see," he mumbled quietly, before continuing. "Well, that thing on her forehead is not a tattoo, I'm afraid." Hizashi paused for a moment. "Naruto, what I'm going to tell you is secret. Most do not know, so do keep this to yourself." Naruto nodded, despite the uneasy feeling Hizashi was giving him. "The design on her head is a seal. It's called the caged bird seal. What most do not know about it is that it can cause extreme pain and even death if activated. While many know it can cause pain, not so many know it can cause death."

Naruto stood there, eyes wide open. 'What? A curse seal?' "Why would Hinata have something like that? Is she a bad person or something?"

"Oh, Kami, no," Hizashi answered, completely abolishing the ridiculous statement. "She is the nicest and sweetest person you will most likely ever meet. Hinata was just unfortunate to be born in the branch clan."

"What? I don't understand," Naruto said, placing both hands in the air to stop Hizashi from continuing. "If Hinata is so nice, why does she have it? It sounds like this is more of a punishment than anything else."

Agreeing with the Gennin, Hizashi released a tired sigh. "It does doesn't it? But I'm afraid all branch members are branded with the mark. All I can say is that it's complicated. It's just how things have been for a long time now."

Naruto still didn't get it. "How is it complicated? Can't you just stop the use of the seal?"

Hizashi smiled. "I wish it were that simple, Naruto-san. But when you're older, I'm sure you will understand," while he was getting tired of adults telling him that, Naruto nodded. "What if you could be more then just friends with my niece?"

Naruto stared blankly at Hizashi, as if he just asked him a question with the strangest combination of words. Naruto scratched the back of his head and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Hizashi chuckled. "Never mind, Naruto-san, you will probably get it someday," he replied, before looking at the clock. "Now, run along. I've spent far too much time talking, and must get back to my work."

"Alright." Naruto quickly left the estate. He began to think of what Kurenai, Hizashi, and Shikamaru all had said to him regarding Hinata. 'What do they mean?' he kept repeating in his head, as he raced of to his favorite ramen stand.

Shikamaru was sitting on a roof near the Hyuuga estate watching Naruto. "Wow," he said to himself. "First Kurenai-sensei, then me, then Hizashi-sama. What will it take to get it through his thick skull? If this stupidity continues, it will start becoming bothersome again." Shikamaru laid back on the roof of the building, and began watching the clouds roll by. 'On the other hand,' he thought to himself. 'Making Hinata hug Naruto and pass out was actually pretty funny. Almost funny enough to make me do it again.'

Back inside the estate, Hinata finally woke up. 'Why am I in my bedroom?' she wondered, straightening her messy hair. Hinata sat up in her bed. She couldn't understand how she had gotten home. She got out of her bed and walked out of her room, only to see Hanabi standing at the door.

"You're awake, Neechan!" Hanabi exclaimed, hugging her sister.

"Hanabi? How did I get home?" Hinata asked, looking around in confusion. She could not remember what she was doing before passing out, or why.

"That guy you have a crush on carried you home," Hanabi said with a smile.

That's when it all came back to her. Hinata turned bright red as she slowly started to remember what happened. She remember Shikamaru casting his shadow Jutsu on her, and making her hug Naruto. But she was more concentrated on the fact that he CARRIED HER HOME! "H-he c-c-carried me h-home?"

"Yep," Hanabi replied, flashing her older sister a grin, followed with a thumbs up. "He tucked you in and everything." Hearing that only made Hinata blush harder. But Hanabi suddenly remembered something. "Uncle said he wanted to talk with you once you woke up. Something about that blond boy."

Hinata was curious about her uncle wanting to talk about Naruto, but she smiled nevertheless. "Well, I shouldn't keep him waiting. I'll talk with you later, Hanabi-imouto-chan." Hinata walked out of her room and made her way down the long hallway, until she made it to her uncle's chamber. After taking a deep breath, Hinata reached out and knocked on the door twice.

"Come in," came Hizashi's voice from the other side.

Hinata walked in with a shy smile on her face. Hizashi was sitting in the middle of the floor, reading a couple of scrolls. So she walked in. "Umm… y-you wanted t-to speak with m-me, Oji-sama?"

Hiding a smirk, Hizashi looked up from his work and looked at his niece. "Why, yes I did," he answered, setting aside the scrolls her was reading. "I met a rather interesting young man just now. A young man who happened to carry you back to the estate."

Hinata blushed, looked down, and started fiddling with her index fingers. "Y-yes. Hanabi t-told me it was my t-teammate N-Naruto-kun."

Hizashi smiled at the honorific Hinata, as she tried her best to stay conscious. She was still thinking about what Shikamaru did to her. Hizashi could tell. So he continued to play as if he didn't already know who he was. "Yes, I believe that was his name. Naruto Uzumaki, is it not?"

Hinata, with her legs shaking, nodded. "Y-yes… that is h-his name," she confirmed, growing warmer by the second. "Wh-what is it y-you want to d-discuss, Oji-sama?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing really," Hizashi replied, using an uncharacteristic casual tone. While it didn't show, he was rather enjoying embarrassing his niece. It was a nice way to pick on her. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't hiding him from me." Hearing this almost made Hinata change into a completely different shade of red, almost resembling dark crimson. She was speechless. "That was all I wanted to know," he finished, reaching for his scrolls again. "If you have anything you wish to discuss, you may."

He looked up just in time to witness his niece scamper out his room, desperate to escape the embarrassment he was putting her through. He activated his Byakugan, and saw Hinata bolting down the halls, with her hands covering her mouth. That's when Hizashi allowed a hearty laugh. "Wow… that was fun," he snickered, before unrolling one of his scrolls.

To Be Continued….

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Everyone is so evil, aren't they? First Shikamaru, than Hizashi? What the hell? HAHAHAHAHA! I hope you all enjoyed the fluff-ified chapter. I know what you are thinking. 'What the hell? Why would Hizashi entrust Naruto with a secret from the Hyuuga clan? What is Mr. Alaska thinking? Is he on drugs? Is he insane?' The answers to your questions: Because Hizashi knows something no one else does, which involves Naruto and Hinata (FUI, Credit for that part of the story goes to Zentary, as well). I'm thinking that it would keep you guys guessing and wondering. No, I'm not on drugs. And not sure, I haven't gotten the results from the psychologist yet. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was shorter then the last one. Please leave lots of reviews, and check out my other stories. Again, thank Zentary for helping me out. He was a major help. Hope to hear from you all soon. PEACE!


	4. WARNING

WARNING! WARNING! I WANT ALL READERS TO READ THIS VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE!

FanFiction is cracking down! Rated M stories that contain sexual content and/or violence, FanFiction plans on deleting it and/or terminating your accounts! I urge you all! The only rating where stories can have those things is rated MA, but they stopped that rating on 2002! I want you all to go to "Support" and send them an e-mail about how they should reinstate rated MA! Please, for the sake of FanFiction! Help stop the madness!


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